I knit washcloths. I've even bought cotton yarn at Walmart in the middle of a road trip but I prefer local yarn shops if possible. I also keep a little spiral bound memo pad and a pen handy to jot down notes about the trip or billboards and signs of interesting shops etc. to check out the next time. I've brought hexies before but it isn't always easy to sew them in a moving vehicle. I also load my IPad with free books from Overdrive. I do need a better charger for it, though.